A high voltage pulsed power supply for capillary discharge waveguide applications
- Department of Physics, Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG (United Kingdom)
- Low Temperature Plasma Department, National Institute of Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 077125, Magurele, Bucharest (Romania)
We present an all solid-state, high voltage pulsed power supply for inducing stable plasma formation (density {approx}10{sup 18} cm{sup -3}) in gas-filled capillary discharge waveguides. The pulser (pulse duration of 1 {mu}s) is based on transistor switching and wound transmission line transformer technology. For a capillary of length 40 mm and diameter 265 {mu}m and gas backing pressure of 100 mbar, a fast voltage pulse risetime of 95 ns initiates breakdown at 13 kV along the capillary. A peak current of {approx}280 A indicates near complete ionization, and the r.m.s. temporal jitter in the current pulse is only 4 ns. Temporally stable plasma formation is crucial for deploying capillary waveguides as plasma channels in laser-plasma interaction experiments, such as the laser wakefield accelerator.
- OSTI ID:
- 22062354
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 82, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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